bar
Meaning
A long, narrow piece of wood, metal, or other rigid material, used as a barrier, support, or for other purposes.
A counter where alcoholic drinks or sometimes other refreshments are served.
A unit of pressure.
To fasten or secure something with a bar.
To officially prevent someone from doing something or going somewhere.
Usage
The windows had strong iron bars to prevent burglaries.
We met for a drink at the hotel bar.
The athlete was barred from competition for using illegal substances.
Etymology
The word 'bar' entered English in the 12th century from the Old French 'barre', meaning a rod, beam, or gate. The Old French term likely derives from the Vulgar Latin 'barra', whose origin is uncertain but may be from a Gaulish or other pre-Latin language. The core concept of a straight, rigid piece of material used as an obstacle or barrier has persisted throughout its history. This fundamental sense of a physical barrier logically extended to create a wide range of modern meanings, from the counter that forms a barrier between server and customer, to the legal act of blocking an action, to its specialized use as a unit of measurement in physics.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Old French origin, borrowed into Middle English. Its core form has remained stable.